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We are dedicated to all facets of sustainability. Day in, day out. Responsibly, fairly, transparently and open to new ideas. For lasting joy. In the environment, nature, people and products. Designed to last. We have been living sustainability since 1884. It is omnipresent. Yesterday, today, tomorrow. Present in all our decisions, relationships and products. Our goal is to be a sustainable brand. We work on this every day. With a lot of heart and soul. |
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High-quality natural materials are our standard. Certificates, strict quality controls, innovative finishing processes and production in Europe are the secret of our durable, hard-wearing, sustainable products. Around 80 % of the fabrics we use are made from natural fibres and fibres of natural origin. The rest are man-made fibres from natural polymers, blended fibres or synthetic fibres. 80 % of the fabrics are produced in our in-house textile production ARULA in Vorarlberg, Austria. Our goal is to continuously increase the share of resource-conserving, controlled, sustainable natural materials. We currently use Organic cotton, Supreme Green Cotton® and CO2 neutral TENCELTM Lyocell fibers in 6 product series. |
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALSSupreme Green Cotton® is grown on family-run cotton farms in Greece. The certified cotton is GMO-free and requires 40 % less water through modern drip irrigation. The entire process - from the cultivation of the raw materials, to the spinning of the yarn, to the final product - is Made in Europe, it meets the strictest sustainability criteria and is 100 % transparently traceable. Organically grown cotton is GMO-free. No fertilisers or pesticides are used. From the cultivation to the sale of the organic cotton the highest standards apply. Recycled cotton fibres are obtained by upcycling from old clothes or industrial rejects. The sustainable yarn produced from this reduces the amount of spinning and dyeing required, ensuring water and energy savings. It is produced in an ethical, ecologically responsible production system. TENCEL™ fibers are kind to the skin and almost as soft as silk. One of the outstanding properties is their high moisture absorption, which promotes a natural temperature balance. The skin thus feels pleasant. TENCEL™ fibers are biodegradable, compostable and can thus be completely returned to nature. Our TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers come from the company Lenzing AG in Austria. They are made from sustainably grown wood from natural forests and sustainably managed plantations. By reducing CO2 emissions and using renewable energies during production, Lenzing AG goes beyond CO2 carbon offsetting to reduce its carbon footprint. |
CERTIFICATESOur products are STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® certified. It is the most important certificate for textiles that are worn on the skin. All components of a product meet the strict OEKO-TEX® test criteria: fabrics, sewing threads, inserts and prints as well as non-textile accessories such as buttons or zips. We select our suppliers according to balanced economic, ecological and social criteria, and OEKO-TEX® certification is a prerequisite. Some of our products are MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX® certified. This means that these products have been produced in an environmentally friendly factory and in safe and socially responsible workplaces. In addition, the MADE IN GREEN label gives consumers the assurance that the textile product is made from materials that have been tested for harmful substances. Our dyeing and knitting factory in Vorarlberg, Austria is STeP by OEKO-TEX® certified and thus stands for socially acceptable and safe working conditions and environmentally friendly production. Our production site is certified according to the latest G.O.T.S. (Global Organic Textile Standard) sustainability standards. |
DURABLE PRODUCTS ARE SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS“Our mission is to inspire our customers to consume sustainably.“ CLAUDIA BRUGGER, Product Management At the heart of our sustainability strategy is the manufacture of high-quality products with a long service life. Because the longer our products are worn, the better for the environment (the less waste when disposing of old clothes). We want to help people buy less, but better and longer-lasting quality. With the right care, the lifetime of our products can also be extended. We do NOT represent a FAST-FASHION CULTURE. For us, sustainability means responsible consumption. Therefore, our LESS IS MORE attitude also applies here: We limit ourselves to one summer and one winter collection per year, contrary to the fast-moving fashion trends. In order to avoid unnecessary disposal and waste, we process residual materials mostly in the context of special collections |
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONEnvironmental awareness and the careful handling of the resources we use are a matter of concern to us. We work actively and continuously to reduce the environmental impact of our production and products to a minimum. The protection of water, air and the economical use of raw materials is therefore an integral part of our corporate culture. WHAT WE DOSince 2012, we have owned one of the largest roof-mounted photovoltaic systems in Vorarlberg and obtain approximately 10 % of our energy supply from our own solar power. In addition, we use the waste heat from the waste water from the dyeing plant to preheat the production water and to heat the hall ventilation. All in all, our energy consumption is below the legal requirements. By switching to video meetings and home office options, as well as travelling less and more consciously, we continue to improve our ecological footprint. Our employees are trained to be more environmentally and cost conscious and to improve waste separation. In 1991, the new waste management concept with careful waste separation led to a reduction of residual waste by about 60 %. Commercial waste is recycled. Our purchasing department influences all suppliers with regard to packaging reduction.
We also try to reduce the amount of waste in our production. Our residual materials are sold and used as cleaning cloths in workshops and other areas. Old needles and old circuit boards are sold to a company that recycles these parts. Defective machine parts are renewed or repaired at the manufacturers and reinstalled. Parts that are still usable are removed from old machines and reused in other machines.
We have a recycling circuit for our hangers. In addition, we do not automatically deliver hangers for a large part of our hanging garments. This means the retailer reuses existing hangers over and over again. As early as 1989, we switched container shipping from trucks to trains. As a result we have already been able to save over 4 million lorry-kilometres. We are part of Ökoprofit Vorarlberg. Ökoprofit stands for "Ökologisches Projekt Für Integrierte Umwelt-Technik" (Ecological Project for Integrated Environmental Technology) and is a cooperation project between municipalities and local businesses with the aim of reducing operating costs while at the same time conserving natural resources. All our product packaging, bags, gift boxes, lookbooks, catalogues and marketing materials are made of FSC®-certified paper or cardboard and, like our advertising materials, are produced in a climate-neutral way. Our box packaging has only a small viewing window made of foil. This makes it possible to recycle them as paper. The film for our polybags and sleeves is made from a recycled material (mix of production waste) and our clothes hangers are also part of a recycling loop.
We are continuously working on reducing packaging material and producing as sustainably as possible. We also make sure to use only a few finishes, such as foil lamination and UV varnish, as these pollute the environment and make recycling more difficult. 96 % of our total water requirements in production are sourced from our own wells. Thanks to an innovative, technological purification process without chemicals, our waste water is pH-neutral and can be reused through a closed water cycle. The remaining waste water may be discharged purified into Lake Constance, the largest drinking water reservoir in southern Germany. Through the continuous renewal and modernisation of the dyeing machines, water consumption per kilogram of fabric has been reduced by 50 % since the year 2000. We have supported the reforestation projects of PLANT-MY-TREE and One Tree Planted in recent years. Both organisations plant trees and create new forest areas to neutralise unavoidable emissions and protect biodiversity. The aim is long-term CO2- compensation and thus sustainable environmental and climate protection. In addition, the projects create jobs, build communities and create habitat for wildlife. |
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OUR TARGETS
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